WPL 2024: ‘Carnage in Canterbury’ or ‘Canterbury Tales’ – while the social media failed to decide what they would call ‘that act’ Ellyse Perry against England when her 7/19, the best figure by an Australian in ODI, ran through the host lineup, half a decade later peerless Perry brought back the memory of that spell in Delhi. But this time in a shorter format.
Ellyse Perry’s 6/15 against MI in their last group match not only decimated one of the dominant batting attacks of the tournament but ensured that RCB eventually qualified for the playoffs. After RCB’s 1-run defeat against Delhi, their last group match against MI was the virtual eliminator. Even after UP’s defeat in their last group match, an RCB victory was crucial for their enhancement. RCB would have progressed despite a defeat, provided that the margin was less than 60 runs.
Before this match, RCB had never defeated MI in WPL. In three matches MI defeated RCB by 9 wickets, 4 wickets and 7 wickets. At the Delhi leg of the WPL, the side batting first has won 6 out of 7 games. The only game that a chasing side won came due to Harmanpreet Heroics. But there was another aspect of Mandhana winning the toss. As all their defeats have come from batting first, Skipper Mandhana decided to field first. Also to have an advantage to look at the scenario while chasing to keep their slightest hope alive.
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Perry who has bowled only 6 overs for 51 runs this year, was bought into the attack just after the powerplay was over. Mumbai was well poised with 43/1 and Nat Sciver-Brunt just joined Sajana, who rose into prominence after her last ball 6 in the opening match against Delhi this year. The first ball she bowled caught Sajana off guard and lobed a catch but just fell short of extra cover. Perry was warming up.
Earlier in the tournament, in their match against Mumbai Indians, Perry fought a lone battle with her unbeaten 44 from 38 balls. After that match which RCB lost by 7 wickets, skipper Mandhana said that She (Perry) is definitely a fighter, she wasn’t 100 percent today, but anyone watching wouldn’t have figured that out. She is an excellent athlete and her innings really helped us get to a decent score from that stage (42/4).
The Perry Show! ⚡️⚡️
Four timber strikes and a six-wicket haul for Ellyse Perry 😲
Live 💻📱https://t.co/Xs3l4AyJSz#TATAWPL | #MIvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/uTjVaem5tP
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 12, 2024
A couple of balls later NSB survived a review. A back-of-length ball, jagged back and trapped her in front. Though Perry went for a review, it showed that the ball would have missed the leg stump. In the next ball, Sajana’s shot almost carried to the Devine. Though Perry was wicketless in her first over, she was gradually finding her mojo back.
After the last match’s defeat, Perry talked about winning the small moments in the game that determine the outcome. Though she didn’t get the wicket she dictated all those moments in the first over and it looked like getting a wicket was just a matter of time.
Perry was back for another when Devine went for 15 in the next over. Sajana who sent Devine to the fences a couple of balls back, treated Perry with the same disdain when she sent a half volley on the middle and leg to the long-on boundary. But in the very next ball, after hitting Perry for a boundary, Sajana went on the hoick again. But this time the ball came back sharply to uproot her stumps.
![Royal Challengers Bangalore have given their fans reasons to celebrate but a playoff finish will be the icing on the cake [Image: Getty]](https://www.womenscricinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/377126.webp "Decimation In Delhi: 6-Star Ellyse Perry Keeps RCB In WPL 2024 Trophy Hunt 1")
ALSO READ: WPL 2024: Ellyse Perry Star As RCB Advance To The Playoffs Defeating Mumbai Indians Convincingly
Kerr was next against the barrage of inswingers that Perry had to deliver. Against another back-of-the-length ball that jagged back sharply from the fourth line, Kerr again tried to work it on the leg side. But missed. Though the umpire turned down a vivacious appeal from Perry who was top of her voice, the review showed that the ball would have hit the leg stump, despite Kerr dancing down the track.
An All Round Performance 👌@ellyseperry guides @RCBTweets to the playoffs with a 4️⃣ 🙌
Scorecard 💻📱https://t.co/6mYcRQlhHH#TATAWPL | #MIvRCB pic.twitter.com/o4UDT87rQt
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 12, 2024
Amanjot became Perry’s 4th victim she was cramped in a room while she went for a cut. After hitting Perry for a boundary, one peach of a delivery came back in fast and cut Amanjot in half as she only could watch on helplessly. In 6 balls Perry got 4 wickets and Mumbai was in shambles.
Ellyse Perry became the 5th bowler to take a five-wicket haul in WPL history when Pooja Vastrakar played a needless hoick against her incoming one. In the last over of her spell NSB, MI’s last hope was judged LBW. It was full and zoning in on the middle and leg. Sciver-Brunt fell across a smidgen and was beaten by the inward seam movement. The ball thudded into the pads, in front of the middle stump, and the finger went up.
Perry’s 6/15 became the best figure in an innings in WPL history, going past another stalwart, Marizzane Kapp. But her contribution didn’t cease there. She came out to bat when RCB lost wickets in quick intervals. Her unbeaten 40 and handy partnership with Richa Ghosh for the 4th wicket ensured that RCB sailed through without any falter. She ended the match with a boundary.
Ellyse Perry had only taken 4 wickets for RCB in two seasons before this match. Though even after her comeback in the T20Is after the Commonwealth Games in 2022, Perry has taken 10 wickets with the best average, economy and strike rate she has gradually ceased to bowl in the T20s.
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